Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.
Recent prior elongate electrical conductors are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,309,229 and 6,395,987, both of which are in the name of the present inventor. While the conductors disclosed in these patents provide possible solutions to the problems that are identified in the specification, they are relatively complex and difficult to manufacture, as well as occupying considerable volume for the current carrying capacity that is accommodated.
These types of conductors are typically formed from a copper sheet and, for a unit length and current carrying capacity, are heavy and therefore relatively expensive and difficult to transport. Moreover, the production of the conductors results in the generation of considerable waste material.